Harness racing returns to the Wivenhoe Showgrounds in Burnie on Friday night for the first time in eight months for a seven-race card where the Cables Plus (TAS) Liza Storm for the maidens is the feature event.
Three-year-old filly Kabibi will be out to follow in the footsteps of her famous full-brother and multiple Inter Dominion winner, Beautide (pictured), who broke his maiden status on the 607-metre track in January 2010.
The Bettors Delight filly comes out of the Group 2 Bandbox where she finished eighth after leading on 8 November and did finish third at the two starts before that effort.
Driver Lachlan Dakin has driven the pacer in three of her four starts and retains the drive on Friday where she has drawn barrier two on the second line in the 2180-metre mobile start event.
Stablemate Kermadec has drawn barrier two and has been placed in three of 15 starts and will be driven by Barrie Rattray, who will be taking the reins while trainer Todd Rattray is on the sidelines from the sulky due to suspension, while the only other runner in the race to have been placed in a race is Kikkimi who has drawn the pole position and should appreciate a drop in class from the Bandbox series in what has been the pacers first two runs back from a spell.
The horse to beat is four-year-old mare Aussie Rock, who has done something no other horse has done in the race, and that is win.
Unfortunately, the win was stripped by stewards several weeks later, but it was a top effort by the mare to lead all the way, and after a soft run in front she booted away to score by 9.4 metres over Kivik. She hasn’t been seen in public since.
The pacer will be driven by Ben Parker and is trained by comeback trainer Leigh Rand with the duo combining to win last week’s Group 2 Raider Stakes with Pardoe Plugga.
As far as some other races on Friday night’s card go, the only locally trained horse at the meeting, Brookwillrock for trainer-driver Craig Hayes looks to get her chance to break back into the winners list in race two.
The Pet Rock filly has had two starts on the Burnie track for a win four starts ago in the Thorate Incentive where she raced outside the leader to score by 15 metres before being placed in a 55 or better standing start event two starts ago.
In three standing start events, she has won one race and been runner up on the other two occasions, where she has been safely away in two of those but did gallop out in another.
Another strong chance on the card is the Mark Yole-trained and driven Tisu Spirit in race six.
The gelded son of American Ideal will be having his second start since joining the Yole stable and has shown good standing start manners in two runs to date, and if able to lead he should go close to recording his 10th career win.
Friday night’s seven-race card kicks off at 18:16 and will be televised on TasracingTV and Sky Racing 2.
